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Hey got a problem that has started happening, im running windows XP home, i have two harddrives on 40gb with my OS on it and a 120GB for files ect.
Has been working fine did have problems but replaced my PSU and they all come right, been working fine for about a month so i dont think it would have anything to do with that, no other hardware or software changes since then. This is the error msg

I got the error last week and just pushed the ide & power cables to check they were in and it booted fine, now its doing it again but not coming right.
I have tryed useing each HDD by its self the jumpers are in the correct place.
I though my HDD may of packed a sad but im not sure, since ive tryed both by them selfs and had no luck it seems unlikly that both HDD's are broken, could it be the IDE Cables? ( They look fine )

If it was the cable could i tell by looking at it? i have looked at it and it does not look damaged, i dont have any other cables unless i can use a 40pin?
I checked the jumpers there ok, the drives were working fine then just stoped working. I wasnt experiencing any other problems

If that fails then I would suggest going to the web site of the manufacturer of you hdd and download their diagnostic tool and run it to make sure that the problem isn't the hdd. Is this hdd you slave drive?

Family and loved ones will always be a priority in my daily life. You never know when one will leave you.

No it doesnt get past the first screen, the first screen were you have the option to go into bios. To early even to boot off the windows CD. Checks the drives, the Cd drives are both found then it checks for the HDDs & comes up with the red error, IDE Drive installation error.
I believe thats the error you get when u dont have any HDD's connected to the comp.

Go into the BIOS and make sure that your CD-ROM is the first device in the boot order, place your installation CD in and reboot your system, if you can boot from the disk then you hardware is ok. I still would change that cable first.

Another option is to install your hdd with th OS in another working computer as a slave and see if I works, it must be connected as a slave or you can damage your OS.

Edited by dc3, 09 October 2007 - 11:32 PM.

Family and loved ones will always be a priority in my daily life. You never know when one will leave you.

Ok i been meaning to put the HDD in another comp jst havent had a chance, have to go 2 a mates 2 do that. CD is the first boot device but it doesnt get far enough 2 boot off cd. but ill try the HDD in another computer and post back again then.

If you get to the page that offers the option to enter the BIOS then your system has gone through the POST which means that it should be able to boot from the CD. You do not need the OS to be running to boot from the CD, this is the reason that you want to see if it will boot from the CD. If you can boot from the CD that means that your hardware is operating properly, this will not tell you if the hdd has a problem, or if you OS is corrupt, or if you IDE cable is bad.

Family and loved ones will always be a priority in my daily life. You never know when one will leave you.

I think i might of fixed it, i was getting a error along the lines of Sec Master Drive - ATAPI Incompatible, Press F1 to resume.
Pressing F1 did not help but i was trying a different harddrive and diff IDE cable and getting the same error, i pressed F1 and it booted to the F8 screen. I choose last known good config that worked. Put my harddrive back in ( still useing a different IDE cable ) got the F1 error and pressed F1 and it booted. Started a disk check had to come back to work but i think its working now. Ill put the origanal IDE cable back on when i get home and see if it still works.